Storage battery and electrode therefor



May 11,1926.

T. SPENCER STORAGE BATTERY AND ELECTRODE THEREFOR Filed June 11. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 11 1926.

T. SPENCER STORAGE BATTERY AND ELECTRODE THEREFOR Filed June 11,

2 heets-$heet 2 llllll. lllllllllllllllll ll 6mm muse.

Patented May 11, 1926. v

UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

THOMAS SPENCER, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIG-NOR TO THE PREST-O-LITE COMPANY, INC.. A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

STOBAGE'IBATTEIRY AND ELECTRODE THEREFOR.

Application filed June 11, 192 Serial No. 719,404.

This invention relates to improvements in storage batteries of the type in which active materials of positive and ne ative polarity are carried 1n conductive re ation on the samesup ort. Electrodes so formed are ordinaril escribed as duplex or biiunctional. T form of such electrodes and av compact, high voltage battery assembly characterized by substantial freedomfrom short circuiting and bucklin At an early sta e in the. storage battery art it was propose to simplify construction by utilizing as cell walls the conductive plates supporting the active material. Strips of rubber were placed between the margins of adjacent plates and the assembly was held under compression by bolts. In this way receptacles for electrolyte were provided between each pair of plates.

In prior constructions of this type, it has been the practice to place or form the positive active material on one side of the plateand the he ative active material on the other side directly opposite the positive. Since a primary object 1s tospro-duce a compact, light weight batter the plates are ordinarily thin and are ikely to become perforated. If this happens the cell is short circuited because of the juxtaposition o-f'the active materials of opposite polarity. The

battery may be seriously injured or ruined by this action.

In accordance with the present invention, this difiiculty' is avoided by a non-aimed or stag ered arrangement 0 the active matena s upon the supports. Each plate car-' ries a body of posltive active material on one side and a body of ne ative active material on the other. These odies do not. occupy opposite plate areas; current passes across the plate, not directly through it as heretofore. Various positive advantages are also obtained by the new construction, as will appear from the subse uent. description. Reference is to be ma e to the a'ccon panying drawing in whichig. 1 is a partial plan view, section, showing one form of the battery; V

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the battery of Fig. 1;

partly in lmprc ved he invention comprises a novel Fig. 3 shows a plate, the active material receptacle on the reverse side being shown in dotted outline;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section through one form of vent plug; 7

Fig. 5 is an e evation of the insulating sheet separating the plates;

Fig. 6 is a v1ew similar to Fig. 3 showing a modified form of late;

Fig. 7 is a top p an view of the. plate shown in Figfli; and

Fig. 8 is a vertical section throu h the glid of Fig. 6 and istaken on line E III---- II of that figure.

In Figs. '1 to 5 ofthe drawingsfreference numeral 1 denotesa conductive plate, preferably anintegral lead-antimony castin The plate has cavities 2 and 3, one on eac side, adaptedto receive active material 4. The cavities are best made oblong and arranged as shown, but the essential condition is that they shall not be opposite each other A suitable supporting structure, such as ribs 5, may be rovided 1n the cavities.

The suriace of the active material should be somewhat below that of the plate, as space is to be left for a separator 6 between opposed bodies of active material. Ribbed wooden separators are preferred but others may be used if desired. Openings 7, 7 at the top and bottom respectively of the active material provide ample room for electrolyte. V

In the assembly of the battery, a terminal plate 8, which may have only one cavity 2 or active material, -is covered with two sheets 9 of flexible insulatin material. This material is preferably so t rubber. One sheet might serve, but two. are desirable to insure a. good seal about the vent tube, as

subsequently described. Each sheet/ 9 hasan opening 10 (Fi 5) which coincides with the area occupied y the active material and permits access of electrolyte to it. A separator 6 is placed in contact with the active material. Another plate is placed on the sheets 9. with a cavity containmgactive material opposite to cavity 2. The materials in these two cavities are of opposite polarity. Additional plates, separators and insulating sheets are assembled in the manner indicated until the desired number is reached.

Any ,active material -which may be dislodged will fall into openings 7'. Sheets 9 provide a wall between these openings in adjacent plates so that the active materials of opposite polarity are kept separate.

The assembly is desirably held together by bolts 11 passing through pressure plates at each end of the series of cells. Nuts on the bolts are screwed up to force the plates and rubber sheets together, thus securing tight joints between them. The pressure plates may comprise a hard rubber or other insulating sheet 12 and a lead-coated steel plate 13. The present invention is not limited to this particular holding means, however, and any suitable mechanical device for this purpose may be adopted.

A fillin and vent tube 14- is inserted between eac pair of sheets 9. The electrode plates are grooved as indicated at 14: and 15, Fig. 3, to receive, the tube- Portions of the margins of sheets 9 are forced into the grooves and provide a seal between the tube and plates. A perforated plug 16 is provided for each tube.

The battery may be used" in the form shown, but I prefer tofplace it in acasing and embed it in a suitable thermoplastic material. The lugs 17 on. the plates and. the

vents will of course remain exposed.

In the embodiment of the invention illus trated in Figs. 6 to "8,; the construction is in general similar to that previously'described,

the principal diii'erences bein fthe provision of a separate support 18 for ,t 'e'active material and an integral vent I9. y

The support 18 comprises a grid'structure hav ng bars 20, preferably of small size. Active material is placed on the support and formed in the usualYway, or reformed active material may 'be .used. j lhe support is secured to the latefll'iii any suitable way. This may e conveniently done by burning the support to the plate at one or more points. This form of plate and grid presents some manufacturingadvantages over that of Fi 3 and is also lighter.

A further simpli cation. is efi'ec'ted: by molding the vent 19 integral with plate 21. The plate 21 is depressed marginally at 22 to receive the vent of the adjacent plate when the battery is assembled. Only one sheet 9 of rubber is required to secure a good sealat the vent. As noted above, two are generally desirable in the form of the invention the plate, for otherwise defects in the plate may develop and cause short circuiting. The present distribution of the active materials also substantially prevents buckling of the plates. The improved battery is especially desirable for radio use, for example intead of dry cells in the plate circuit 'of vacuum tubes. I

As higha voltage as desired may be obtained readily and economically with stor- "age batteries as described herein. Any'desired intermediate voltage may be secured by making connection to the proper lugs on the plates. The battery may be charged in the usual manner.

The invention is not limited to the particular'construction shown, except with respect to the non-alined arrangement of the active materials.- The terms electrode, separator, insulating means,'and the like, as used in the appended claims, are therefore to be interpreted broadly.

I claim:

1. A storage battery electrode having a body'of ositive active material on one side and a ho y of negative active material on the "other, saidbodies occupying non-alin'ed electrode areas, whereby" short :circuiting of the bodies in case of deterioration of'the electrode is prevented.

2. A bi-polar storage battery electrode having a cavity for active material occupying a substantial portion of one-half' ofone side, and another cavity for active material occupying a substantial portion of the opposite half of the other side, said cavities being in electrical connection across thev electrode area" joining the two cavities, whereby short circuiting of the active material in the respective cavities in case of deterioration of the electrode is prevented' 35A storage battery comprising electrodes each'having non-alined cavities on opposite sidesjand containing active material, insulating material between the electrodes adapted to-form a liquid-tight joint on com ression, and means for compressing the e ectrodes and insulatin material;

4. A bi-po ar storage battery electrode comprising a plate, supports carrying active material of opposite polarity secured one on each side of said late, said supports occupying nonalined e ectrode areas and being in conductive relation to eachother.

5. In a storage battery of the bolted assembly type in which the electrode plates form the cell walls, the improvement which comprises the non-alinement of the positive and negative active materials carried by each electrode.

6. A storage battery comprising electrodes each having non-alined cavities on opposite sides and containing respectively active materials of positive and negative polarity, a separator between opposed bodies of active material on adjacent electrodes, a sheet of soft rubber lying between adjacent Yates and having an opening coinciding wit the area occupied by the active material, and means for compressing the assembly to form a liquid-tight joint between the electrodes and rubber sheets.

7. A storage battery comprising two rows of cells having electrodes carrying active materials on opposite sides, and conductive means for transmitting current from each cell of one row to the next succeeding cell of the other, whereby series connection is established without juxtaposition of positive and negative active materials on the same electrode.

8. A storage battery comprising a series of conductive electrodes each having positlve and negative active material respectively on opposite sides and non-alined areas thereof, separators interposed between opposed bodies of active material on adjacent plates, a sheet of insulating material lying etween adjacent plates and having an opening coinciding with the area occupied by the active material, vent means, and means for compressing the assembly to form a lifiluid-tight joint between the electrodes and s eets.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signa- 80 ture.

THOMAS SPENCER. 

